Chapter 6: The Gathering

Wang did not say anything, he just shook his head. Gao Jianguo thought for a moment and said with a wry smile: "Listening to Old Wang, I realize that with my abilities, in that era, I would at most be a local warlord."

Song Tao wanted to say something else, but Li Ming immediately raised his wine glass

This time, Song Tao finally seized the initiative, excitedly stating: "Then I will bring a large batch of modern weaponry, training a modern army with tens of thousands of AK-47s, and then sweep across the world to unify it."

Wang He finished with a self-deprecating smile, then continued, "However, with my abilities, aside from being well-versed in certain historical trends, whether it be Hong Taiji, Li Zicheng, or Zhang Xianzhong, I cannot compare with these individuals in other aspects. I might initially gain some advantages, but once I intervene, history will inevitably change. At that point, my greatest advantage will also vanish, and I will ultimately be crushed by the wheels of history."

Everyone automatically filtered out his words, and in unison, they raised their glasses and clinked them together, then downed their drinks in one go

Gao Jianguo, after finishing his words, struck the table with a heavy fist, causing the cups and plates on the table to jump. Several empty wine bottles that had just been drained also fell to the ground and shattered into pieces

Gao Jianguo introduced Li Ming to a person named Wang He, who is forty-three years old and a colleague of Gao Jianguo in the same office. Due to the average medical standards in Gao Jianguo's hometown, Wang He assisted Gao Jianguo in contacting a hospital in Kyoto

As Wang He arrived and glanced at the villa, he began to observe Li Ming. Although Wang He was not doing well at the moment, he had risen through the ranks from the grassroots level and had encountered various types of people over the years. He noticed that Li Ming did not resemble a businessman with many years of experience, nor did he possess the smoothness typical of those who mingle among the powerful. Furthermore, he lacked the ostentatious demeanor of a sudden lottery winner.

Everyone got on the car and arrived at Li Ming's villa. Originally, Li Ming intended to invite Gao Jianguo and the others to a restaurant, but Gao Jianguo insisted on not going. He believed that it was sufficient for comrades to gather at home, without the need for any extravagance. Li Ming had no choice but to buy a lot of ingredients with Song Tao on the way. When they arrived at Li Ming's villa, Gao Jianguo was very surprised; he did not expect that Li Ming was doing so well now

Wang He and Gao Jianguo clearly did not expect Song Tao to bring up such a topic, and both were momentarily taken aback. However, this was not a serious occasion, and everyone had already had a fair amount to drink.

This also made Li Ming and Song Tao view Wang with new respect, especially Song Tao, who has always believed that men who do not drink are untrustworthy, while those who drink and engage in deceitful behavior are not worth befriending

Li Ming and Song Tao met Gao Jianguo and discovered that there was another person with him. This individual was of similar age to Gao Jianguo, of medium build, with a gentle appearance, deep and calm eyes, and slightly graying hair at the temples, yet he looked very youthful

During the late Ming Dynasty, there were bandits everywhere, and the bandit armies were numerous. Additionally, there were the Manchu cavalry from beyond the borders. Even those landlord militias that formed to protect themselves were a force to be reckoned with. Li Zicheng was powerful, yet in the end, he still fell at the hands of those landlord militias

Everyone began to talk more. Li Ming and the other two did not want Gao Jianguo to think about his son, so they all sought other topics to discuss, trying to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere at the dining table

By the way, brothers, if you were to travel back to the late Ming Dynasty, what would you plan to do

Song Tao's words made everyone burst into laughter, and Gao Jianguo also chuckled, saying: "That is not necessarily the case; only when we get there will we know how to proceed. It is not advisable to rigidly apply the social forms of this world to the late Ming Dynasty. However, one thing is essential: there must be an armed force that is loyal to itself or to the organization, and it must be a military with ironclad will. Only in this way can this ideal be realized"

Wang smiled slightly and spoke, "I fully agree with Lao Gao's viewpoint, but I believe we should carefully consider the location for establishing our base. It is essential to ensure that there are no forces around us that pose a threat, allowing us sufficient time to develop. To establish a firm foothold, a few years may not be enough. Furthermore, we are modern individuals who understand the course of history. From a macro perspective, even the most talented individuals of that era cannot compare to us, as we have knowledge of the historical context of that time. We can certainly formulate our plans according to the trajectory of historical development. Once we have accumulated a certain level of strength, we can then seek the most opportune moment to compete with the various heroes of the world for dominance in the Central Plains."

Song Tao, in a fit of anger, raised his glass and downed it in one go.

Thus, in just a short while, his relationship with Wang He transformed into that of close friends. Everyone was drinking with great enthusiasm, but there was an unspoken atmosphere of oppression at the table due to Gao Jianguo's recent loss of his son

Everyone was still processing Gao Jianguo's words when they were startled by his punch. Song Tao laughed heartily and said, "Old Gao, I think you should establish a Soviet area, conduct a few counter-encirclement campaigns, then embark on a Long March, and finally implement land reform, proletarian dictatorship, and rectification movements, haha..."

Everyone entered the villa and busily prepared a large table of dishes together for half a day, then sat down to start eating. The liquor was still Erguotou, and although Li Ming brought out a few bottles of Moutai and Wuliangye, Gao Jianguo only recognized Erguotou. Wang Heyi saw that everyone was drinking this, so he didn't say anything. Thus, each person had a bottle of Erguotou, and before they had eaten much, they had already started drinking cup after cup.

Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing Gao Jianguo's words, acknowledging that this is essential. In the apocalyptic end of that dynasty, various forces were extremely powerful, and to survive, it was necessary to have a strong armed force

Song Tao, in a state of urgency, exclaimed: "Old Wang, how can you think like that? We are modern people; we not only have a deep understanding of history, but we also possess concepts that are more advanced than theirs. By training an army that embodies the characteristics of a modern military and equipping it with advanced technology, we will be invincible in battle."

Soldiers have a strong emphasis on drinking; even if they cannot outdrink you, they must not be intimidated by you. Even if they get drunk, they will still risk their lives to drink with you, especially those seasoned veterans who have spent several years in the military. Even if you were previously alcohol-dependent, after a few years of toughening it out in the army, you will develop a good tolerance for alcohol.

Song Tao becomes quite lively and talkative when he drinks alcohol

Especially that Song Tao, every time his topic revolves around his experiences as a mercenary in Africa, as well as the Western women and African girls, and so on

When the common topic among men is mentioned, the atmosphere at the table immediately becomes much more lively. Everyone, buoyed by the effects of alcohol, begins to laugh and speak loudly without restraint. Although Wang has not been in the military system, he certainly has his own way of doing things.

Gao Jianguo declined several times, but Li Ming insisted on seeing him, so Gao Jianguo had no choice but to inform Li Ming of his current location

Li Ming almost spat out the mouthful of wine he had, wondering how this fellow managed to pick up on that topic. However, Li Ming did not stop him, as he was also curious to hear what Gao Jianguo and Wang He had to say.

When Wang was still in a leadership position, in order to invigorate the local economy under his jurisdiction, he frequently interacted with wealthy entrepreneurs, and some individuals maintained an extraordinary relationship with him even before he was transferred to this cold-water office.

Gao Jianguo and Wang He also cooperatively raised their cups and downed their drinks in one go, effectively stifling what Song Tao wanted to say. Li Ming, seizing the opportunity, spoke up first: "Now let's change our perspective. If we had a passage that allowed us to freely traverse between two worlds, what would you do?"

Therefore, regardless of the topic, they can speak freely without reservation, especially when encountering a topic that is clearly nonsensical; they become even more unrestrained. Wang lowered his head and thought for a moment, not speaking first, while Gao Jianguo, without a second thought, opened his mouth, emboldened by the effects of alcohol

What do you mean? Can tens of thousands of AKs not defeat the armies of the Ming Dynasty? What are the Manchu cavalry and the peasant armies? They are all like insignificant chickens and dogs, and when faced with a modern army, they are all nothing but scraps

If I were to go back to the late Ming Dynasty, I would not adopt the methods of Li Zicheng. Instead, I would learn from the founding emperor, taking advantage of the time when various forces in the world were vying against each other to establish a base. I would then form an organization that aligns with the social environment of that time, mobilize the masses, rely on the people, dig deep and store grain, and train an indomitable and resilient people's armed force. By the late Ming Dynasty, everything from the cabinet to the local level was thoroughly rotten. As the saying goes, power comes from the barrel of a gun. Only by smashing everything to pieces and starting anew can we establish a new society that is suitable for that era and conducive to the development of society at that time.

Although Li Ming drives a luxury Mercedes-Benz and lives in a lavish villa, he seems to be at odds with these possessions, still retaining a hint of a soldier's demeanor. However, this raises a question: where did he acquire the money to afford these things

Come... let's drink, everyone finish this cup...

What surprised them was that although Wang always smiled and remained silent, and did not drink as vigorously as the three soldiers, he still appeared quite refined; however, he always finished his drink in one go.

In recent days, Gao Jianguo has been immersed in the pain of losing his son. Today, he has been drinking deeply, fully expressing the anguish within him. The table is filled with dishes that have hardly been touched, yet everyone has already begun to feel the effects of the alcohol.

Every topic he chooses captivates everyone's interest, and he is also able to handle others' topics with great tact, making people feel very comfortable. With him acting as the intermediary, the atmosphere at the table becomes even more lively

Li Ming and Song Tao did not really persuade Wang He, after all, he was a guest, and they were not very familiar with each other. Moreover, he was not a military person, so each time before they toasted, they would symbolically say: "Old Wang, feel free... let's drink, everyone."